By Charles Sercombe
While Hamtramck prepares for the 2010 Census, here’s a preview of what’s to come.
Although the national population count happens only once every 10 years, the Census Bureau stays busy during that in-between time taking sample surveys of communities. The sample collection, however, is not as accurate as the decentennial paper survey.
So far, it appears, Hamtramck took a bit of a beating according to the sample collection. But, and take note of this, the data collected has a margin of error of anywhere from 200 to over 1,000 in some catagories.
In the 2000 Census, the city’s population shot up by about 4,000 to almost 23,000 residents.
According to the sample take from 2005-2007 – the latest data available from the Census Bureau – our population went down to 20,485. But – and this is a big one – the margin of error of this is plus or minus 1,774.
That may mean our population may have gone up or down by a hair.
And for single ladies, this is your kind of town. Males comprise 54.5 percent of the total population.
If it seems like your yearly wages are going down, you are right on the money. In 1990, the yearly median family income was $30,496. Now, that median family income is down to $28,145. The national average, by the way, is a little over $60,000.
Next week, some more tidbits from the Census.